Pedal-action for pianos.



PATENTED APR. 7; 1903,

J. DIERDORP. PEDAL ACTION FOR PIANOSV APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

6 ZQZ ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOIIN DIERDORF, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

PEDAL-ACTION FOR PIANOS.

$PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,555, dated April 7,1903.

I Application filed March 15, 1902. Serial No. 98,357. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DIERDORl-l, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPedal-Actions for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and useful improvement inpedal-actions for pianos, one in which simplicity of construction and durabilityare the chief features.

The object consists, further, in mounting the beams to which the pedalsand damperrods are connected upon a U-shaped spring, the said spring notonly acting as a fulcrum for said beam, but providing the tension underwhich the beam labors. There are other features, and the arrangement'andconstruction of the several parts will be hereinafter more particularlydescribed and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof andon which similar numerals of referenceindicate similar parts, Figure 1is a fragmentary detail View of the lower portion of a piano and showsmy improved pedal-action in operating position. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spring to which the beamsare secured; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said spring, the dottedlines of this figure showing the adjustability of said spring whichincreases or decreases the springs resisting qualities.

In the drawings, 1 represents thepianoframe, which may be of theordinary construction, only so much of the frame in this instance beingshown as is necessary to illustrate my invention therewith.

2 is the floor of the piano-frame; 3, the pedals, which are pivotallysecured at the rear ends to the floor 2. The pedals are located, as iswell known, central to the piano, and hence are directly in front andwithin easy access for the operator. Each pedal is provided with avertical rod 4, which extends upward and connects with a beam (5. Thevertical rods at carry the nuts 5 on the upper ends, which rest on thebeams (i. Mounted in a horizontal manner and within the pianobody arethe beams, 6, which beams extend from the center of the piano-frame tothe ends thereof. The beams 6 have a slot 14 in the inner ends, throughwhich the rods 4 extend. The outer ends of the beams carry the slots 15,through which the pins 16 extend, which are secured in the ends of thedamperrods 7. The damper rods 7 are vertically mounted in the ends ofthe piano-frame and rest on the outer ends of the beams 6. Thedamper-rods are common in all pianos, and no further'mention of themwill be made, except that they engage with the damper which regulatesand controls the volume of tone produced by the instrument.

The beams 6 are mounted on U-shaped springs 8 by means of the screws 9.The springs 8 have the ends bent at right angles from the main body andform the wings or base 10 and 11. The wings have a longitudinal slot 17cut therein, by which the springs are secured to the floor 2 by means ofthe screws 12 and 13. The screw 13 is the first one driven. It will beseen that the wing 10 has a greater length than the wing 11. The

extra length of the wing 10 allows for the adjustment of the spring. Thevarious positions obtained for the heel of the spring is shown by dottedlines in Fig. 4:. By expanding or contracting the spring I increase orreduce its resiliency. The spring is now held in position, and the screw12 is driven into the floor 2. The movement of the beams is necessarilyof short compass, to which the springs readily adjust themselves.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I desire to secureby Letters Patout is- In a pedal-action for pianos, in combination withthe main piano-body, pedals pivotally secured to the floor of said body,beams extending from the center to the ends of the piano-frame, slots inthe ends of the beams which form bearings for the pedal and damper rods,pedal-rods connecting the pedals with the beams, vertical damper-rodsmounted in the ends of the piano-frame which carry pins which engagewith the slotted ends of the beams, U-shaped springs secured to the InWitness whereof I have hereunto set my beams by means of screws and theends of hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this which terminateinto right-angle wings, slots 20th day of January, A. D. 1902.

in the Wings which receive screws, whereby JOHN DIERDORF. [L. s.]

5 the springs are adjusted and secured to the Witnesses;

piano-frame, substantially as shown and de- 0. O. TOPP, scribed. F. W.WOERNER.

